A new scheme to restrict access to Lendal Bridge in York has caught out scores of drivers on its first day.

For the next six months anyone crossing the bridge between 10.30 in the morning and five in the evening will receive a £60 fine. York City Council say the move will reduce congestion, but residents are accusing them of making drivers into a cash cow.

Lendal Bridge in York will be closed to cars during daylight hours from today. It's part of a trial to improve pedestrian access around the Museum Gardens and the Minster.

No vehicles other than buses, taxis and bicycles will be able to cross the bridge for six months.

City of York Council also hopes to create a relatively traffic-free corridor running from Holgate, past the railway station, across Lendal Bridge and up Museum Street, St Leonard’s Place and Gillygate all the way to Clarence Street and beyond.